China expresses concern over Japan's record defense budget request

Record ID: 908430

  • Title: China expresses concern over Japan's record defense budget request
  • Date: 31st August 2017
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (AUGUST 31, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN, HUA CHUNYING, SAYING: "Regardless of what the reasons are, but just as you said, Japan's defence spending is increasing every year and has reached a new historical high. We exp
  • Embargoed: 14th September 2017 11:46
  • Keywords: defense budget Japan China concern
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016WHMC7B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: China expressed concern on Thursday (August 31) as Japan's defence ministry sought $160 million in a record budget request to develop swift, longer-range missiles to extend its military punch in East Asia.
    If approved, the proposal for a rise of 2.5 percent in defence spending to 5.26 trillion yen ($48 billion) for the year starting April 1 would be the sixth straight annual increase as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bolsters the military.
    The funds will pay for ballistic missile defence upgrades, six F-35 stealth fighters, four V-22 Osprey tilt rotor troop carriers, besides orders for new naval vessels, including a submarine and two compact warships.
    Around $90 million of the requested missile development funds of $160 million will go on studying hypersonic missiles to quickly penetrate enemy defences.
    The rest will pay for research on extending missile range, technology that could potentially be used to help develop strike weapons.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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